Osteospermum plant named ‘Duetisuneye’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Duetisuneye’, characterized by its compact and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; full and dense plants; freely and early flowering habit; and large inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Duetisuneye’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is co-pending with the following relatedapplications: Title: Osteospermum Plant Named ‘Duetibredaor’, U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 11/349,673 Applicant: Marga Dümmen Title:Osteospermum Plant Named ‘Duetibreyech’, U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 11/349,715 Applicant: Marga Dümmen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofOsteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duetisuneye’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact Osteospermum cultivars withuniform plant habit, early flowering and interesting floret coloration.

The new Osteospermum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2003 of a proprietary selection of Osteospermumecklonis identified as code number F-03-19, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonisidentified as code number F-01-13, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Rheinberg,Germany in July, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Rheinberg, Germany in July, 2004. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newOsteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Duetisuneye has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duetisuneye’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duetisuneye’ as a new and distinctOsteospermum:

-   -   1. Compact and uniformly mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit; full and dense plants.    -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.    -   4. Large inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of theparent selections in ray floret color as plants of both parentselections have paler yellow-colored ray florets. In addition, plants ofthe new Osteospermum are more compact than plants of the parentselections.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of thecultivar Duetibredaor, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 11/349,673, and the cultivar Duetibreyech, disclosed in U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 11/349,715, in ray floret color.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of theOsteospermum cultivar Countryside, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the newOsteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Countryside in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more compact than plants        of the cultivar Countryside.    -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely branching        than plants of the cultivar Countryside.    -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum had smaller leaves with        shorter petioles than plants of the cultivar Countryside.    -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Countryside        differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar        Countryside had pale yellow-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Osteospermum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newOsteospermum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Duetisuneye’ grown in container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotograph, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown during the spring in Rheinberg, Germany, in a glass-coveredgreenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally usedin commercial Osteospermum production. Single plants were grown in 13-cmcontainers and pinched about one week after planting. During theproduction of the plants, day and night temperatures were about 18° C.and light levels were about 4,500 foot-candles. Plants used in thephotograph and for the botanical description were about four months old.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar    Duetisuneye.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number F-03-19, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number F-01-13, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 10 days at            20° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer and winter.—About three weeks            at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, fine; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant.            Compact and uniformly mounded plant habit; upright and            somewhat outwardly spreading; inverted triangle. Freely            branching, about four to six primary lateral branches; dense            and full plants. Moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 16.5 cm.        -   Plant width or area of spread.—About 15 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Internode length: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Glabrous, smooth. Color: 144B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 8 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Dentate; sinuses divergent.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Leathery;            pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Leathery; glabrous.            Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing            foliage, lower surface: 144A. Fully expanded foliage, upper            surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B            to 137C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144B. Petiole:            Length: About 4.8 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color, upper surface: 144A to            144B. Color, lower surface: 144A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences held above            and beyond the foliage. Composite inflorescence form,            radially symmetrical, with ligulate-shaped ray florets and            disc florets massed at the center; ray and disc florets            arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face            upright or outwardly.        -   Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from            the spring through the summer. Early flowering, plants begin            to flower about six weeks after planting.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about three days on the plant.            Inflorescences not persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering; about 30 to 35            open inflorescences and inflorescence buds per plant.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About            1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 137B and 144C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.2 cm. Depth (height):            About 2.9 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.4 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 3 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.3 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape:            Elongated oblong. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 18 to 20 in            one to two whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: 12B. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Ground color, 3A; longitudinal stripes, close to            137C.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed.            Length: About 5 mm. Width: At apex: About 2 mm. At base:            Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:            About 50. Color, apex: Close to 97B. Color, mid-section and            base: Close to 155A to 157A.        -   Phyllaries.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Acute. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery. Number            per inflorescence: About 16. Color, upper surface: 137B to            137C. Color, lower surface: 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5.25 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Leathery.            Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen number: Five per floret; fused around style.            Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther            color: 79A to 79B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:            23A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil            number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma            shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 79A and 4D. Style length:            About 3 mm. Style color: 4D. Ovary color: 144C.        -   Seed.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 199A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Osteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    greenhouse or outdoor conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Duetisuneye’, as illustrated and described. 